Increasing the Likelihood of Obtaining a Degree and

Transitioning from Postsecondary Education to

Employment or Further Education

Jim Martin, Ph.D.University of OklahomaZarrow Center for Learning Enrichmentjemartin@ou.eduhttp://education.ou.edu/zarrow/

http://education.ou.edu/zarrow/

What We Still Need to Do To Finish the Job

Alternative Title

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The Reason Why - 1

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The Reason Why -2

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Agenda

Quiz Time What We Know Transition Success Anchors

Self-Determination Goal Attainment Disability Awareness

Preparing To Move From College to Adult Life

Quiz Time

Test Your Knowledge

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Seven Question Student Outcome Quiz

What percent of workers who had IEPs in high school like their jobs?

What percent of students with IEPs dropped out of HS?

Which domain is the biggest area of concern for former high school students with IEPs? Reading Math Social Skills Health

Care What percent of former students

with IEPs receive gov’t benefit payments?

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More Questions

Which former group of HS students with IEPs are more likely to be single? male or female

What disability group is most likely to be enrolled in 4-year colleges? LD EBD MR Hearing/Vision

What percent of students with IEPs in high school self-identify in postsecondary ed?

What We Know

General Outcomes

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Characteristics of Out-of-School Youth (NLTS2)

Social skills are the most problematic for all categories of youth About 6 in 10 have moderate social skill

scores 28% left school without a diploma About 70% worked since leaving HS

40% working a couple years after leaving HS

Much lower than the 63% of same age youth without IEP

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Job Site Accommodations (NLTS2 – 2005)

About 4% of those who left HS receive job site accommodations Most employers are unaware of disability

Of employers who are aware of disability 25% receive workplace accommodations

40% of employed youth like their jobs 55% of general ed workers like their jobs

(Conference Board, 2007)

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Emerging Independence 2 years after leaving, 75% living with

parents Similar rate to general ed students

66% of those living with roommate or spouse report annual income of less than $5,000

About 10% participate in gov’t benefit program

8% has had a child About same rate as general population

Rate of being arrested and on probation equals rate of same age peers in general ed population

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Cost of Dropping Out

DO significantly less likely to be engaged in school or work

DO more likely to support independent household and children 4 times higher than those who

completed HS Less likely to have driver’s license or

checking account, and be a voter More than 33% spent one night in jail

5 times higher than those who completed HS

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Differences by Disability

LD or Health Impairments 75% completed high school 75% worked, with 45% working 2 years

after HS Large reduction in passive leisure and

large increases in seeing friends often Large declines in organized groups and

volunteer activities

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Differences by Disability

Emotional Disturbance Highest dropout rate 35% no longer live with parents

▪ Greatest increase in living in criminal justice. mental health facilities, or on the street

33% have not been engaged with leaving HS

75% have been stopped by police (other than traffic violation)

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Difference by Disability

Mental Retardation or Multiple Disabilities Most likely to stay in school until 21 Least likely to have obtained regular

diploma Lowest overall rate of engagement Least likely to see friends Least likely to take part in organized

groups

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Difference by Disability

Hearing or Visual Impairment More than 90% obtained regular HS

diploma Twice as likely to enroll in postsecondary

ed▪ 66% had done so▪ 40% enrolled in 4-year schools – highest of all

groups Most likely to be engaged in community

groups Low criminal justice contact Those with hearing impairment less

likely to see friends

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Other Differences

African-American youth at 16% disadvantage compared to white youth in rate of employment

Those from higher income parental home more likely to be engaged in school or work

Females are 6 percentage points more likely to have enrolled in higher ed than males

Females less likely to be single than males

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Transition from High School to IHEs

53% of students with disabilities plan on attending an education program after leaving high school compared to 95% of their non-disabled peers (Wagner, Newman, Cameto, Garza, & Levine, 2005).

Yet only 19% of youth with disabilities follow through compared to 40% of their non-disabled peers (Wagner et al., 2005).

The rate of current enrollment of youth with disabilities in 2-year/ community colleges is not significantly different from that of their peers in the general population (10% vs. 12%).

Similar-age youth without disabilities are more than four and one-half times as likely as youth with disabilities to be currently taking courses at a 4-year college (28% vs. 6%, p<.001).

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What’s Going On?

What can be done to prevent such a high drop out rate?

What can be done to improve the marginalized outcomes for minority groups of students?

Why so few former students with IEPs going on into higher ed? What can be done to increase expectations? Why more females than males going into higher

ed? Why do so few of those who do enroll in

higher ed self-identify for disability support?

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Future Transition Ed Efforts

Increased focus on teaching students disability awareness

Increased focus on teaching in-school and job site self-advocacy skills

Increased focus on building students’ expectations for adult life after high school to include going into higher ed to attain degree and better job

Increased focus on disability specific transition education practices Autism, emotional/behavior disorders, etc

What We Know

Postsecondary Education

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The Numbers In Higher Education

College freshman with a disabilities increased from 2.6% in 1978 to 9% in 1996 (Cameto, Newman & Wagner, 2006).

Surveys of freshman at 4-year colleges report the percent of students with disabilities has gone from 3%, up to 9%, then down to 6% (Henderson, 1998, 2001)

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Transition from High School to IHEs

53% of students with disabilities plan on attending an education program after leaving high school compared to 95% of their non-disabled peers (Wagner, Newman, Cameto, Garza, & Levine, 2005).

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Types of Higher Ed Programs Former students with IEPs

5% attended vocational or technical schools within two years of graduating.

20% enrolled in community college, with 10% doing so two years later

9% enrolled in 4-year college with 6% doing so two years later.

30% of youth with disabilities enrolled in some type of postsecondary ed compared to 41% of their non-disabled peers (Wagner et al., 2005). Dropped down to 20% taking classes a two years later

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Rate of Enrollment

The rate of current enrollment of youth with disabilities in 2-year/ community colleges is not significantly different from that of their peers in the general population (10% vs. 12%).

Similar-age youth without disabilities are more than four and one-half times as likely as youth with disabilities to be currently taking courses at a 4-year college (28% vs. 6%, p<.001).

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Disclosure & IHE Disability Support

Of youth with a high school IEP in IHE (Wagner et al., 2005). 52% do not believe they have a disability 7% believe they have a disability but did not

disclose 40% identified having a disability

88% of students who identified received services 12% rejected or refused services once offered

Put all of this together, about a third of former students with IEPs who attend postsecondary ed receive disability support

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Retention and Graduation

One percent of the students with disabilities enrolled in 4-year schools graduated in a four-year period (Cameto et al., 2006).

20% of students with LD who began IHE graduate 5 years after high school compared to 44% for students without LD (Murray, Goldstein, Nourse, & Edgar, 2000).

10 years after high school, 44% of students with LD graduated compared to 78% without disabilities (Murray, et al., 2000).

Assume 100 students with IEPs in high school 72 will graduate 22 will enroll in higher education 4 will graduate from higher education five years after

starting

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After Graduation from IHE

Graduates with LD employed at comparable rates as former students with LD (Madaus, Foley, McGuire, & Ruban, 2001).

Earning a degree from an IHE benefits the employment outcome of adults with learning disabilities (Madaus, 2006).

Students with disabilities other than LD graduating from IHEs appear to have less positive results (Roessler, Hennessey, & Rumrill (2007).

Some students with disabilities at IHEs lack the skills and confidence to seek employment (Corrigan, Jones, & McWhirter, 2001).

Questions and Future Trends

Postsecondary Education

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What’s Going On?

Why do so few students with disabilities enter higher ed? What happens to the dreams? Why do so few seek disability support?

Why the poor long-term graduation rate? Why do fewer students with disabilities who

graduate from college continue to graduate school?

Why do some students with disabilities (maybe as many as 33%) experience trouble transitioning from IHE into employment?

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Future Trends in Postsecondary Ed

Transition education for students with disabilities enrolled in postsecondary educational programs (Sitlington, 2003)

Higher Ed needs to strongly consider adopting transition education practices to finish the job (Roessler, Hennessey, & Rumrill, 2007).

More specialty programs for students with disabilities in higher education

Focus on self-determination instruction

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The Other Transition: Is There Another Task to Do?

Transition education for students with disabilities (Sitlington, 2003):

Enrolled in higher education programs Preparing to move from higher education into

full-time careers Higher Ed needs to strongly consider

adopting transition education practices to finish the job (Roessler, Hennessey, & Rumrill, 2007).

Where and Who? Disability Resource Centers? Career Development Offices?

Answers to Quiz

Self-Score Quiz Answers

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Seven Question Student Outcome Quiz - Answers

What percent of workers who had IEPs in high school like their jobs? 40%

What percent of students with IEPs dropped out of HS? 28%

Which domain biggest area of concern for former high school students with IEPs? Reading Math Social Skills Health

Care What percent of former students

with IEPs receive gov’t benefit payments? 10%

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More Questions

Which former group of HS students with IEPs are more likely to be single? male or female

What disability group most likely to be enrolled in 4-year colleges? LD EBD MR Hearing/Vision

What percent of student with IEPs in high school self-identify in postsecondary ed? A third (appx 33%)

Transition Success Anchors

Components of a Transition Education Program

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Transition Education Anchors

Transition Success Behaviors Self-Determination Skills Teaching Goal Attainment Disability Awareness

Preparing for Move From College to Adult Life Adaptive Behavior Identification Career Exploration

Self-Determination: The Meaningful Outcome

Self-Determination

What is SD?What are the traits of a SD Person?

Why is SD Important?

Macro-Level SD

Right of people to determine their own destiny.

Empowers groups of people to take control of their own affairs and direct their own futures.

What are some groups who have learned to take control of their own affairs?

UN General Assembly (1991)

All people have the right to

self-determination. By virtue of that right they must be free to pursue their economic, social, and cultural

development.

Question

What was the first act of national and democratic self-determination in

the world?

Answer

The American Revolution

Micro-Level SD

Concerns the Individual

Make choices and set goals based upon an understanding of their interests, skills, and limits

Express their goals to help build support

Establish a plan to attain their goal

Evaluate their plan Adjust their goal or plan

Self-Determined Individuals Will

Martin & Huber Marshall, 1993

Self-Determined Learning Theory

Adaptation is at the heart of Self-Determination

Field & Hoffman’s

Goal Setting Model• Know Yourself

• Value Yourself

• Plan

• Act

• Experience Outcomes & Learn

Goal Attainment

From an awareness of personal needs individuals will choose goals, then doggedly pursue them (Martin & Huber Marshall, 1993)

SD is a person’s ability to define and achieve goals from a base of knowing and valuing oneself (Field & Hoffman, 1994, 1995)

SD is the repeated use of skills necessary to act on the environment in order to attain goals that satisfy self-defined needs and interests (Mithaug, 1996)

Self-Determination Constructs

• Self-awareness• Self-advocacy• Self-efficacy• Decision-making• Independent performance• Self-evaluation• Adjustment

Self-Determination Bits

SD is all important for individuals with disabilities

Attainment of SD is the crucial goal for people with disabilities

SD is an inherent right Choices initiate SD

SD Is a By Product of Skills and Opportunities

Skills

opportunity

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AIR Self-Determination Assessment

Educator Version Parent Version Student Version

Dennis Mithaug – Columbia Univ – New York City

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AIR SD Assessment Components

AIR SD Assessment Capacity

▪ Knowledge▪ Ability▪ Perception

Opportunity▪ At school▪ At home

Graph Results

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Complete the AIR Educator SD Assessment on a Student You Know.

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Page 2 of OK IEP Examples – top box, page 3 top box

Page 2, top box and Page 3 top box for example of OK IEP Examples

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Transition Success Behaviors

We know postschool success behaviors

Assess students to determine what they know and what they still need to learn

Teach skills Provide opportunity to

master skills

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Missing Link In Transition

We need an assessment tool based on actual postschool success behaviors.

We need a tool to assess students’ current behavior linked to identified transition success predictors.

No tool like this exists (that we could find).

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Postschool Success Predictors

Reviewed the literature to identify student behaviors that predicted postschool success. About 50 quantitative and

qualitative studies Several different search

engines Journal reference lists Hand searched major

journals Asked colleagues around the

country

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14 Concept Clusters

• Desires • Goals

• Strengths • Limits

• Disability Awareness • Persistence

• Use of Support Systems • Coping Skills

• Social Skills • Proactive Involvement

• Making Positive Choices • Job Experience

• Transition Education

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Transition Success Assessment

Transition Success Assessment: A Transition Behavior Profile Professional, Family, and Student TSA

Versions TSA Graphic Profile TSA Goal Identification Matrix

Takes about 10 minutes to answer the items and score

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Wording of TSA Items

Fine tuned wording internally at ZC

Conducted six social validity groups 4 expert panels (27

participants) 1 parent panel (8 participants) 2 student panel (12

participants) First round produced changes to

36 of 50 Professional TSA items Subsequent panels made fewer

and fewer changes

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Issues Expressed by Social Validity Groups

Family group focused on wording associated with friends, asking for support, coping skills, and independent living.

Students did not like the word “used.” Professional group more sensitive regarding

words such as limitation and disability awareness.

Very positive feedback from all the groups Easy to understand and use Makes sense Beneficial to planning students’ future “Now I understand what to teach” Found the TSA practical

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Remaining Tasks

Complete internal reliability study with at least 100 professionals, 100 students, and 50 parents

Test-retest reliability (four weeks apart)

Factor analysis of items to determine final clusters

Complete user manual Disseminate final TSA

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IES Grant Submitted

Submitted grant to IES to conduct large scale studies Structural equation modeling to

build construct validation Test parallel versions (student,

professional, and family) Similar factor structure across

tools Reliability studies across country Undertake predictor studies

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Benefits of Using TSA for IHEs

Defines behaviors students need to learn to increase likelihood of transition from IHE to employment or further education.

Provides goals and objectives to begin self-improvement efforts or to target instructional programs to improve specific behaviors

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Transition Success Assessment – Draft 50

Let’s Look At the TSA

Transition Success Behaviors

Teaching Goal Attainment

Dream

Its fun to dream, but how do dreams become reality?

GOAL ATTAINMENT

Goal Attainment Is The Most

Important Self-Determination

Component

(Wehmeyer, 1994).

Goal Attainment Facts

Students ability to problem solve, which includes goal attainment, predicts students enrollment into postsecondary education (Halpern, Yavanoff, Doren, & Benz, 1995)

Students with learning and other disabilities lack goal attainment skills (Fuchs, Fuchs, Karns, Hamlett, Katzaroff, & Dutka, 1997)

Students with high incidence disabilities differ significantly from nondisabled peers in their ability to choose and attain goals (Mithaug, Campeau, & Wolman, 2003)

Autonomy & Competence The more autonomous (self-determined) a

person believes their behavior to be the greater the personal satisfaction and enjoyment from engaging in that behavior (Deci & Ryan, 2000)

Feelings of competence (self-efficacy) shape a person’s willingness to actively engage and persist in different behaviors (Bandura, 1997)

Diminished perception of competence leads to lower motivation and a decrease in willingness to pursue goals and persist in their attainment. This limits overall educational growth (Bandura, 1997).

Take ActionTeaching Goal Attainment

Choosing Employment GoalsSopris West Publishers(www.sopriswest.com)

Take Action Major Steps: Plan

Break goals down into doable steps Establish standards Determine how to get feedback Determine motivation to attain goal Determine strategies Determine support Schedule Express belief that goal can be attained

Take Action Major Steps: Action

Record or report performance Perform to standard Obtain feedback on performance Motivate self to complete tasks Use strategies Obtain support as needed Follow schedule

Take Action Major Steps: Evaluate

Determine if goal attained Compare performance to standard Evaluate usefulness of feedback Evaluate if motivation helped prompt my

achievement Evaluate effectiveness of strategies Evaluate usefulness of support Evaluate usefulness of schedule Evaluate my belief

Take Action Major Steps: Adjust Adjust goal if needed Adjust or repeat standards Adjust or repeat feedback method Adjust or repeat motivation Adjust or repeat strategies Adjust or repeat support Adjust or repeat schedule Adjust belief statement

Introduction

Introduces the Take Action processPlanActEvaluateAdjust

Goals: long and short-term Break long-term goals into short-term goals

Write The Steps in the Correct Order from 1 to 4.

Introducing Plan Parts

Watch a 10-minute video that introduces the Take Action Process and overviews the six important steps to make a planLesson 2 Teaches

- Standard - Strategy- Motivation - Schedule

Each Plan Part Answers a Question

Standard: what you will be satisfied with

Motivation: why you want to meet your standard and accomplish your goal

Strategy: how I accomplish my standard to meet my goal

Schedule: when will I do my strategy or work on my goal

Each Plan Part has an Associated Question

What are they?

Same Goal - Different Standards

What are the standards for the runner, weight lifter, and dog walker?

More Plan Parts

Review first four plan parts Teach Support Teach Feedback Case Study Review Quiz

Support

Support is help provided by other people or things

The support question is “What Help Do I Need?”

What support did the car driver need in the video?

What support does the runner or weight lifter need?

Feedback

Feedback: information you get on your performance

What feedback did the driver get in the video?

Trace exercise Sources of feedback

Critiquing Plans

• Review long & short term goals

• Puzzle Quiz

• Take Action Critique Tool

• Sample Plans

Match word to question

Sample Plan

Writing a Plan

Students develop a plan to accomplish a goal

Complete cumulative quiz Critique Michelle’s Plan Breakdown “get good grades in

class” goal Complete plan for “get good grades

in class” goal Complete plan aloud in class

Critique Michelle Pass’ Plan

Evaluating & Adjusting Plans

Review and complete 3 example case studies from plan through evaluate and adjust

Apply evaluation and adjustment concepts to own plan

First Review Michelle Pass’ Plan to Get Good Grade

Use Take Action Process

Apply Take Action Process to Personal Goals Employment Goals School Goals

Disability AwarenessTeaching How Disability Impacts “My Life”

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My Perceptions of My Disability

STUDENTS NEED TO LEARN TO ANSWERSS THESE TYPES OF QUESTIONS

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Self-Determination Cycle

SDTP Lessons

The 1st SD-TP LessonAwareness of Self, Family, Community, and Disability

Input Circle

Vision for Adult Living

You and your family will consider:

where you will live.

how you will take care of yourself.

how you will participate in your community.

Pre/Post Test Mean Scores

While the difference in the scores on the pre-test was not statistically significant, this gap may indicate a difference in the groups despite the random assignment.

There was a noticeable statistically significant effect on the Post-Test, with a corresponding moderate to large effect size.

Student Self-Efficacy

Post-test comparison shows significant increase for students in the intervention group with moderate effect size

Significant increases for students in the intervention group on 7 of 10 self-efficacy statements

Student Intervention group mean scores increased on all statements

Mean scores for students in the Control group stayed about the same pre to post

Group Pair Mean SD t df Sig. (2 tailed)

Effect Size d

Pre 16.79 4.379 -3.157 18 .005** Intervention Post 20.63 5.559 .63 Pre 17.69 5.225 .070 15 .945 Control Post 17.63 3.739

* p < .05 ** p < .01

Statement Pair Mean SD t df Sig. (1 tailed)

Pre 2.00 .745 -2.041 18 .028* 1. At my next IEP meeting I know I can talk about my disability.

Post 2.26 .562

Pre 1.79 .713 -1.242 18 .115 2. I know the employment, further education, and adult living goals that I will talk about at my next IEP meeting.

Post 2.11 .737

Pre 1.26 .733 -3.314 18 .002** 3. I know the meaning of IEP transition words like Summary of Performance, Plan of Study, and Present Level of Educational Performance.

Post 1.89 .809

Pre 1.79 .855 -2.379 18 .014* 4. I know I can tell my IEP team about the job I want after graduation.

Post 2.32 .582

Pre 1.74 .733 -2.970 18 .004** 5. I know I can tell my IEP team about getting more education when I graduate from high school.

Post 2.26 .562

Pre 1.68 1.003 -2.141 18 .023* 6. I know I can tell my IEP team about where and how I want to live after graduation.

Post 2.16 .765

Pre 1.79 .855 -1.157 18 .131 7. I know I can tell my IEP team about the course of study that will help me reach my transition goals.

Post 2.05 .780

Pre 1.35 .806 -5.840 16 .000** 8. I know I can tell my IEP team about the adult supports and services I might need after graduating from high school.

Post 2.41 .496

Pre 2.06 .966 .489 16 .316 9. I know what my family thinks I should do after I graduate from high school.

Post 1.94 .827

Pre 1.24 .664 -2.524 16 .012* 10. I know how to use the Summary of Performance to help me discuss transition issues at my next IEP meeting.

Post 1.88 .857

Total Self-Efficacy

Intervention Group Self-Efficacy Results

Preparing for Move From College to Adult Life

Teaching “What Am I Going To Do?”

Student Transition Questions

What are my interests, aptitudes, and capabilities in school, work, and community living?

Where do I want to live, work, or go to school after leaving college?

What courses do I want to take to graduate and prepare for my future?

What do I need to learn to do what I want?

What do I do after I leave school? What are my strengths? What do I need to improve to be

successful?Greene, G., & Kochhar-Bryant, C. A. (2003). Pathways to successful transition for youth with disabilities. New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall.

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Goals After Graduation

Students Need To Answers These Questions Prior to Graduation

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Career Development Stages. Where Are Your Students? Career Awareness

Believes self as worker in different jobs

Career Exploration Explore interests in relation to jobs

Career Preparation Skill acquisition that matches interest

and skills Career Assimilation

Movement into job

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Transition Education Assessment

1. Adaptive Behavior Assessment

2. Vocational Interest and Skills Assessment

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Casey Life Skills - Why Look Anywhere Else?

Web based and FREE!!! Spanish or English, with numerous

supplemental assessments Youth and caregiver formats Automatically scored and sent to you Can obtain class summaries Provides different levels of questions for

students across functioning levels Level 1 basic skills Level 4 complex skills

www.caseylifeskills.org

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Page 4 of OK IEP Examples – top box, page 5 top box

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Self-Directed Search - Form E

Students with limited reading skills Spanish version manual, assessment booklets,&

occupations finder Reports interests across

occupations Available: www.parinc.com Cost: $150

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Self Directed Search - Form R

Students with advanced reading skills

Spanish version manual, assessment booklets,&

occupations finder Reports interests across

occupations, educational opportunities, and leisure

Available: www.parinc.com Cost: $150

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On-Line Free Interest Inventories

On-Line Individual Interest Inventories My Future

▪ http://www.myfuture.com/toolbox/workinterest.html I Oscar

▪ www.ioscar.org Career Clusters

▪ www.careerclusters.org (download in pdf format)

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Exploration of Interest Results

Occupational Outlook Handbook www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm www.bls.gov/k12/index.htm

Job videos (English or Spanish) Individuals & Job clusters http://acinet.org/acinet/videos.as

p?id=27,&nodeid=27 www.careervoyages.com

▪ Uses the above videos in an interactive format

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YES! (Your Employment Selections)

Reading free, video based job preference program

Videos for 120 jobs Accessed by characteristics or job choices Matched to training and qualifications

Can access from CD ($395) or web ($20 per person for 3 months)

www.yesjobsearch.com

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COPS-PIC

Non-Verbal Assessment of Occupational Interest

EDITS / P.O. Box 7234 / San Diego, CA 92167

800-416-1666 / 619-222-1666 / Fax 619-226-1666

25 copies for $50.90

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Designed for Students Who Find the Interest

Inventories Not Useful

Functional Vocational Assessment

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Vocational Interests via Career Exploration - For

Those Who Can Read

Choosing Employment GoalsSopris West Publishers(www.sopriswest.com)

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Coverage

Intensive lessons in teaching Choosing Goals process (lessons 1 - 5)

Community-based assessment and problem solving (lessons 6 - 15)

Classroom-based career exploration (lessons 16 - 19)

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Key: Determine Match Between What I Like and What’s at This Site

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Each time student chooses a characteristic one more cell on the graph is marked

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Job Duties - How I Did

Job duties identified and written onto form Student evaluates speed, independent

performance, and accuracy Supervisor evaluates speed, independent

performance, and accuracy Match made between student and supervisor

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Uses self-evaluation methodology to teach job performance skills and to assess job duty skills

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Where Does Transition Education Fit?

Who Is Going To Do This?

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Where Does Transition Education Fit?

Disability Resource Center staff need to advocate for adopting transition education practices.

Use local and national follow-up studies to support efforts.

Work with campus support systems. May become a job of DRC, Career

Development Offices, or an Enhanced Learning Skills Center

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Jim Martin, Ph.D.

University of Oklahoma

Zarrow Center for Learning Enrichment

Norman, OK 73019

Phone: 405-325-8951

E-mail: jemartin@ou.edu

Web: http://education.ou.edu/zarrow/

For More Information Contact: